Over the past several months, gruesome discoveries of unmarked graves continue to be made at the sites of previous residential schools in Canada. In memory of the victims – innocent children – we want to keep this top of mind. The news continues to evolve and we feel compelled to continue the conversation because – every child matters.
The horrific generational impact of the residential school system on Indigenous people is a stark reminder of the importance of living the path of truth, reconciliation and equity. We acknowledge the deep-rooted pain that the First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples have been forced to endure over the decades, and we honour the lost children, residential school survivors and Indigenous communities across the country.
United Way is committed to the principal of equity and to dismantling systems that are discriminatory or oppressive. Some children, families and communities need more help than others to improve well-being and lead healthy, prosperous lives. To achieve our vision where all children, youth and families can achieve their potential, we must take on race, equity and inclusion explicitly. We must understand and address the conditions that maintain oppression, create more inclusive organizations and communities, and pursue more equitable outcomes. Our work is strongest when it fully reflects a diversity of people and ideas.
We promise to reflect, listen, and re-learn the history of Canada and its original keepers of the land. We commit to ensuring that all voices are heard and considered as we act with our partners to build a more inclusive, respectful, sustainable and equitable society for all.
United Way recognizes that Windsor-Essex County sits on the traditional territory of the Three Fires confederacy of First Nations, comprised of the Ojibway, the Odawa, and the Potawatomie. In Leamington, United Way acknowledges the traditional territories of the Caldwell First Nations.
